Go Mobile rebrands and doubles outlets

Go Mobile, the retail arm of distributor Shebang, is planning to overhaul its retail estate and rebrand as part of an ongoing expansion strategy.

The independent retail chain currently has 42 stores and will be adding two more in York and Northampton within the next three weeks, raising the total to 44. It plans to expand to a total of 100 UK outlets.

Go Mobile’s MD Nil Naik (pictured) is hoping to reach 60 stores ‘very quickly’, and is also aiming to change the look and feel of the retailer with the launch of a ‘concept store’ in Northampton.

Plans for the concept store include a redesign of the Go Mobile logo and the introduction of ‘islands’, where customers will be able to interact with the handsets.

Naik said: ‘I am actively looking for retail footprints to complement the estate as our appetite for retail has never been so strong.

‘This will be a complete change in direction as far as the journey that customers take when purchasing a mobile phone or related product from Go Mobile is concerned.’

The Northampton store will be monitored and changes made before the model is introduced across the existing retail estate at a rate of two shops per month. Any new stores opened will also be fitted with the new look.

In the last quarter, Go Mobile reached a £1m gross profit milestone. The retailer is now hoping to exceed that result in Q4 by reaching £1.2m with the use of staff incentives to sell BlackBerrys and the Sonim Land Rover handset.